The American pairs figure skating scene has experienced a bittersweet moment as reigning champions Alisa Efimova and Misha Mitrofanov find themselves unable to represent the United States at the forthcoming Winter Olympics in Milan. Despite achieving the necessary performance standards at the recent U.S. Figure Skating Championships, a critical citizenship requirement obstructs their Olympic aspirations.
Efimova, although wearing an American flag on her warmup attire, does not yet possess U.S. citizenship in her official passport, a mandatory criterion for Olympic competition. Her partner and spouse, Mitrofanov, is a natural-born U.S. citizen, but Efimova’s path differs; born in Finland and having competed internationally for Russia and Germany, she established residency in the United States in 2023. That year, she acquired a green card but is subject to a mandatory three-year wait for citizenship, a period that extends beyond the Olympic deadline.
Efforts to expedite this process included intervention by their home rink and support from U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey. The skaters remained hopeful until the last moment for a "miracle" that would enable Efimova's inclusion on the Olympic roster. Unfortunately, with the submission deadline passing and the roster finalized, Efimova and Mitrofanov were excluded from the team and absent from the gala celebrating Olympic-bound athletes.
The United States' two pairs slots for Milan have been allocated to Ellie Kam and Danny O’Shea, who secured the silver medal at nationals, and Emily Chan and Spencer Howe, who placed fourth. U.S. Figure Skating CEO Matt Farrell indicated that while these decisions are guided by strict rules, they represent an unfortunate aspect of the qualification process.
Without the defending champions on the ice, the U.S. team remains favored for the team competition gold medal but faces a diminished advantage in pairs events. Notably, the U.S. was not anticipated to contend directly for pairs medals regardless.
Efimova and Mitrofanov have shifted their focus to international competitions unaffected by the Olympic citizenship stipulation. They will compete at the Four Continents Championships in Beijing, where the field typically excludes Olympians, before preparing for the World Championships in Prague. The International Skating Union's rules differ from the International Olympic Committee’s, allowing them to represent the U.S. without full citizenship.
Reflecting on their journey, Mitrofanov expressed optimism, emphasizing the positive experiences and growth achieved despite the setback. Both skaters conveyed gratitude to the supportive community and expressed continuing ambition for their skating careers and potential Olympic prospects in 2030, when they will be 30 and 32 years old, respectively.
Recent national competitions have fueled their motivation and hunger to excel. Efimova highlighted that qualifying for the Olympics after such a delay would bring even greater value and meaning to their achievement.